Guide construction for sprinkler head receptacle



April 23, 1963 J. C. TROPEANO ETAL GUIDE CONSTRUCTION FOR SPRINKLER HEADRECEPTACLE Filed Oct. 8, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1

[III] l NVENTORS f C. 7W gbjaw ATTORNEY April 23, 1963 J. c. TROPEANOETAL 3,036,714

GUIDE CONSTRUCTION FOR SPRINKLER HEAD RECEPTACLE Filed 001;. s, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS 47 FIG. 4 "W ATTORNEY United States Patent3,086,714 GUIDE eoNsrnUcTroN non srnn HEAD nacnrraern Joseph C.Tropeano, 12 Revere St, and Philip L. Tropeano, 20 Revere t., both ofLexington, Mass. Filed Oct. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 228571 Claims. (Cl.239-206) This invention relates to fluid dispensing apparatus of thetype commonly referred to as pop-up sprinklers as used in sprinklinglawns, golf fairways and similar areas. This application is acontinuation-in-part of our co-pending application Serial No. 116,588,Patent No. 3,063,645, and is particularly concerned with an improvedsprinkler head guide mechanism for a compressed fluid actuated sprinklerdevice normally supported in a recessed position below ground level.Guide mechanism for elongated sprinkler receptacles of the classreferred to is further described and claimed in our earlier Patent No.2,989,249.

It is a chief object of the invention to provide an improved guidemechanism for popup sprinkler heads and to devise an arrangement ofcooperating guide parts which can be conveniently associated with asprinkler head and which is adapted to engage with cooperating guide-waysurfaces to positively locate the head in a correctly recessed positionwhen not in use.

Another object of the invention is to devise a combination sprinklerhead and guide arrangement in which the guide comprises an integral partof the sprinkler head structure whereby the guide is movable with thesprinkler head at all times.

These and other objects and novel features will be more fully understoodand appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodimentof the invention selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a cross sectional view of a pop-up type sprinkler apparatusin combination with a preferred embodiment of the guide mechanism of theinvention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a receptacle portion of the sprinkler headapparatus showing special guide means formed on the inner surface of thereceptacle at two opposite sides thereof;

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view of a modified form of sprinkler headand guide means; and

FIGURE 4 is a cross section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3.

Considering the form of the invention shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2,numeral 2 denotes a sprinkler head which is contained when not in use inan elongated receptacle 4 normally adapted to be recessed in the earthso that its upper edge 4a is approximately at ground level. A typicalinstallation of the device may be in a golf fairway where it is desiredto have the sprinkler head occurring in a relatively recessed positionat ground level. A cover plate is supported at the upper side of thesprinkler head and is adapted to fit inside the top edge 4a of theelongated housing and close the opening when the sprinkler is not inoperation.

At the bottom of the receptacle 4 is attached a cylindrical part 6 inwhich is sealably received a reciprocable plunger V. The plunger V islocated at the lower end of a tubular portion and is raised and loweredby means of fluid pressure in the manner well known in the art. Acompressed air conduit 22 is connected by a pipe 23 to a bottom section8 of the cylindrical part 6. When compressed air is admitted it raisesthe plunger V into a position to register side apertures 16 with a waterinlet 25 of a conduit 24. Flow of water thus induced raises thesprinkler head 2 and causes it to rotate throwing out a stream of waterfrom the nozzles 5 and 7 in a conventional manner.

3,086,714 Patented Apr. 23, 1963 ice In accordance with a preferred formof the invention, we combine with the sprinkler head 2, and thereceptacle 4, novel guide means for causing the sprinkler head todescend into a properly registered position within the elongatedreceptacle when the supply of water is shut off.

Our novel guide means is made up of two stationary parts P and P1 and amovable part 30. The two stationary parts consist of V-shapedprojections which are formed on the inner surface of the elongatedreceptacle at two opposite sides thereof. These V-shaped projections Pand P1 are shown in FIGURE 2. One of the V-sha-ped projections P1 isalso shown in FIGURE 1 and it will be observed that each projectionpresents inclined guide surfaces as 38, 38a, 40, 4011, best shown inFIGURE 2.

The movable guide 30 is arranged in cooperating relationship to theguide surfaces on the sprinkler head 2 in a descending position andnormally occurs in substantial alignment with the longitudinal access ofthe cover 10 as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The guide 30 consists of acomplementary V-shaped member having side edges as 31 (FIGURE 1). Theseside edges 31 of the member 30 are adapted to engage against one or moreof the surfaces 38, 38a, 40, 40a when the sprinkler moves from a fullyraised operative position into a stored position in the receptacle.

When such an engagement of the surfaces occurs, it will be apparent thata camming action takes place by means of which the sprinkler head isturned about its vertical axis and the elongated sprinkler head and itscovers are then brought into register with the edges 4a so that acorrect seating of the cover necessarily takes place. The movable guideportion 30 then comes to rest in the fully lowered position shown inFIGURE 1 somewhat below the projecting parts P and P1 and directlybetween these parts so that no interference can take place when thesprinkler head is again forced upwardly.

An important feature of this arrangement is that the movable guide 30may be conveniently formed as an integral part of the tubular bodycomprised by the sprinkler head 2. We have found that by means ofsuitable metal casting procedures of conventional nature utilizingaluminum, for example, we may construct a combination guide and headwhich is characterized by strength and long wearing life and the needfor a separate guide attachment is obviated.

For some purposes we may, however, desire to provide a separatelyattached movable guide and this has been illustrated in a modified formof the invention shown in FIGURES 3 and 4.

As noted in FIGURES 3 and 4, the modified movable guide component isdenoted by numeral 3% and is of a V-shaped or chevron form. This movableguide 39 includes a supporting ring part 32, also shown in FIGURE 4,which ring part is designed to fit snugly over an inner tubular section34 of the sprinkler head structure shown in FIGURE 3. This guidecooperates with the same stationary guide projections P and P1, andedges 3t?" and 30" cooperate with guide surfaces 38, 38a, 4%, Mia whenthe sprinkler head is lowered as described above.

While we have shown preferred embodiments of the invention, otherchanges and modifications may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

We claim:

1. In an automatic sprinkler apparatus of the class having a verticallyreciprocating sprinkler head, an elongated receptacle for receiving thesprinkler head in a recessed position below ground level, and pressureresponsive means for raising and lowering the sprinkler head, thecombination of a V-shaped guide part movable with the reciprocatingsprinkler head and a pair of separated stationary guide elements fixedin the receptacle at opposite sides thereof to define a passagewaythrough which the movable guide part may be guided when the head islowered.

2. A structure according to claim 1 in which the movable guide part isconstructed as an integral part of the sprinkler head.

3. A structure according to claim 1 in which the movable guide part isconstructed separately of the sprinkler head and is formed with aretainer ring portion.

4. In an automatic sprinkler apparatus of the class having a verticallyreciprocating sprinkler head including a pair of diverging nozzles, anelongated sprinkler receptacle for receiving the sprinkler head in arecessed position below ground level and pressure responsive means forraising and lowering the sprinkler head, the combination of a V-shapedguide member forming a part of the sprinkler head and extendingdownwardly from a point immediately below the said diverging nozzles,and a pair of cooperating V-shaped projections located at two oppositesides of the receptacle in a position to engage with and turn theV-shaped guide member when the sprinkler head moves downwardly from anoperative position whereby the diverging nozzles are guided intosubstantial alignment with the elongated receptacle.

5. A structure according to claim 4 in which the V-shaped projectionsare formed as an integral part oi the receptacle.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Tropeano et a1 June 20, 1961 3,063,645 Tropeano et al Nov. 13, 1962

1. IN AN AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER APPARATUS OF THE CLASS HAVING A VERTICALLYRECIPROCATING SPRINKLER HEAD, AN ELONGATED RECEPTACLE FOR RECEIVING THESPRINKLER HEAD IN A RECESSED POSITION BELOW GROUND LEVEL, AND PRESSURERESPONSIVE MEANS FOR RAISING AND LOWERING THE SPRINKLER HEAD, THECOMBINATION OF A V-SHAPED GUIDE PART MOVABLE WITH THE RECIPROCATINGSPRINKLER HEAD AND A PAIR OF SEPARATED STATIONARY GUIDE ELEMENTS FIXEDIN THE RECEPTACLE AT OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF TO DEFINE A PASSAGEWAYTHROUGH WHICH THE MOVABLE GUIDE PART MAY BE GUIDED WHEN THE HEAD ISLOWERED.